Thursday, August 27, 2015

Wow, what another month it's been for Emmy campaigning in the skies of L.A., with all the studios, networks and channels trying to get TV Academy voters attention for their television shows and stars to try and win those coveted awards. Before you take look at all the nominated series and actors, be sure to also check out the frenzy there was a few months ago when all the 2015Emmy consideration billboards filled the Hollywoodland skyline.

Emmy nomination billboards

This year Comedy Central received 26 Primetime Emmy nominations across its hit shows like Inside Amy Schumer, Key & Peele, Drunk History, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and more. No wonder they're hoping for a 'happy ending' at this year's awards ceremony on September 20, 2015.
Quite possibly my guiltiest pleasure on TV, Project Runway, is also hopeful for some Emmy wins this year for the reality fashion competition now in its fourteenth season. In my book Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum always make the show work, so they get my vote.

Mind you, fellow Brit Cat Deeley is also up for a hosting Emmy for the twelfth season of So You Think You Can Dance and the show is in the running for several others, so I'm torn.

Before Caitlyn Jenner took over all the transgender headlines, Amazon's groundbreaking series Transparent was being bold and brave with a wonderful family comedy drama set in L.A. Let's hope the acclaimed show can nab some Emmys this year in advance of its second season, especially as Transparent had one of the best Emmy consideration campaigns featuring memorable moments from the first season.

Flashing back to the past and History's Houdini mini-series was campaigning int he skies this month for Adrien Brody in the titular role of the infamous escapologist.
Whereas other channels and studios had a big push in order to secure nominations, like AMC's Emmy consideration billboards and HBO's cohesive 2015Emmy ad campaign, Netflix seemed to save their money for when the nominations were announced.

Their freshman family drama set in the Florida Keys, Bloodline, also received nominations for troubled onscreen siblings Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelssohn.

And rookie comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt garnered an amazing amount of nominations, but mostly I'm hopeful that Tituss Burgess will get some recognition for his portrayal of wonderfully flamboyant character, 'Titus Andromedon'. "Peeno Noir, you're a star", indeed.

Another Netflix show making the shortlist this season was women's prison show, Orange is the New Black, now nominated in the drama category rather than the comedy category, with Uzo 'Crazy Eyes' Aduba being nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress (she won last year for Guest Actress).Lily Tomlin also gets some recognition for her part in the comedy Grace and Frankie, where she stars alongside Jane Fonda as two 70-something wives left by their husbands who come out of the closet and plan to marry each other.

Ricky Gervais also gets a nod for his titular role in the Derek Special this year, where he stars as a caregiver at an elderly nursing home.

Plus the Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga, about mountain gorillas in the war torn Congo, also received an Emmy nomination and this supporting billboard.

From the last wild mountain gorillas to The Last Man on Earth and this freshman comedy with Will Forte is in the running for several awards and has this fun mustache-themed billboard to catch your eye.

Plus even though Fox's hit show Empire didn't get nominated, their secret weapon 'Cookie Lyon' aka actress Taraji P. Henson was for her breakout role in this music business hip hop drama.

NBC's sitcom Parks and Recreation may have come to a close after seven seasons, but that's not to mean the series and its star Amy Poehler can't take home a few Emmys to help bid a fond farewell.

Saturday Night Live also had this cool NYC city skyline ad creative to support all its Emmy nominations and for the SNL 40th anniversary special from earlier this year.

Plus in the world of variety talk shows, Jimmy Fallon was trying to garner votes for his hosting of The Tonight Show.

And finally, the sketch show Portlandia followed up its fun Emmy consideration billboard with another quirky a creative for its Outstanding Variety Sketch Series nomination.

As you can see once again TV land is spending big to try and win as many industry awards as possible, plus to show support for their shows and talent. Plus in these days of streaming and binge-watching, it also raises the profile of these nominated shows and gives viewers the chance to catch up on series they may have missed the first time around.

In less than a month we'll find out who takes home the awards, so stay tuned...